Max factor
My goodness it is hot as I arrive at the CACG! I can feel the sweat running down the back of my neck as I make my way up to our - thankfully air-conditioned - commentary box, where BBC Wales' Nick Webb is already in residence. He is gloomy as to Glamorgan's prospects of recording a first win in this season's Blast. "We're very much focusing on promotion in the Championship, but even that's come off the rails a bit after the result at Colwyn Bay" (where Glamorgan were hammered by Lancashire by an innings and plenty). Mark Davis, who used to travel into school in Bridgwater on the same bus as my wife Claire, is our summariser and his first captain at Somerset, Brian Rose, drops by to say hello just before the start. We are a bit of a cricketing family, down in Somerset!
The toss. Sometimes it pays to lose
Glamorgan's Colin Ingram wins the toss and, much to my relief, elects to field. Four out of Somerset's five wins have come from batting first and putting big runs on the board. The pitch is announced as a 'hybrid' one; that is to say, 5% of polyethelene fibre has been incorporated into the grass to hold the surface together. This is the second occasion on which one has been used in the Blast (the other was at Old Trafford) and the expectation is that it will favour the batsmen more than the bowlers.
As I predicted, Somerset are unchanged, so no Trego, Bess or Davey. Loyalty is a virtue that can sometimes be over-played. I am disappointed that no place has been found in the Glamorgan side for the young slow left-armer Prem Sisodyia, as I had been planning to suggest to those in charge of the music that they play an anthem to celebrate each of the two sides: the Beach Boys' Ba-ba-ba-ba-Babar Azam' for Somerset, and Phil Collins' 'su-su-Sisodyia' for Prem. Ah well, perhaps next year.
Babar and Banton have scored over 50% (884) of Somerset's (1726) runs in this competition so far at a strike rate of 157, which shows just how reliant - over-reliant many would say - Somerset have become on their explosive opening partnership. And with the Sky television cameras here this evening, the two Bs are as revved up as ever. Against some wayward bowling from Rhuadri Smith and Marchant de Lange, both are soon into their stride, Banton striking the ball effortlessly square of the wicket on both sides, Babar wristily putting Smith away for three legside boundaries in an over. When Dan Douthwaite comes into the attack, he disappears for 17 off six intimidated balls. Somerset pass 50 in the 5th over and a total of 200 plus looks comfortably achievable.
It is not, however, achieved. Once Banton is out, nicking a good ball from the debutant Roman Walker ("sounds like he spends his time walking up and down Hadrian's Wall", I venture, much to the disapproval of my more serious-minded co-commentators), the innings stutters. James Hildreth is so out of form that - and I never thought I would ever find myself writing these words - it is painful to watch him. He and Babar pick up plenty of singles against some decent bowling from the Glamorgan spinners, Andrew Salter and Callum Taylor, but the boundaries - one glorious straight six from Babar apart - dry up. It is almost a relief when Hildreth is run out by Ingram's direct hit, and Tom Abell is soon restoring some momentum, turning ones into twos and sweeping Salter powerfully to the square leg boundary. Once again, 200 hoves into view, and once again the innings stutters, Babar miscuing a pull and Abell slicing a wide half-volley to deep backward point. Eddie Byrom has meanwhile been laying about him like Blackbeard on speed with a series of bizarre hoicks and hacks, as if wielding a cutlass rather than a bat. He is also painful to watch, in a different way. Overton, as usual, holes out quickly, and Marchant de Lange shows how to bowl at the death by taking three wickets - all bowled, stumps flying everywhere - with fierce pace in the 20th over. So that's 177. A good total, but not a dominant one. The question mark over the firepower of this Somerset middle order remains.
Glamorgan's chances disappear in the first ten balls of their reply. Shaun Marsh nicks the seventh, delivered by the much-maligned (by me and Mark especially) Jerome Taylor, to Hildreth at slip; Colin Ingram is called through for an impossible single by Nick Selman, to be beaten by yards by Tom Abell's arrowing throw, off the tenth. Thereafter, it was all about David Lloyd's aggressive defiance for Glamorgan, and Max Waller's guileful variations for Somerset. Lloyd loses what was always a losing battle, when Tom Abell takes a good catch, running back, as he tries to hit Lammonby over the top, and that is about that.
If I'm being completely honest, I didn't actually see the first of the two catches that Roelof van der Merwe took in the final over, bowled expertly by Tim Groenewald, But I certainly saw the second, off the final ball: "Walker hits powerfully down the ground; van der Merwe is positioning himself under it; he TAKES the catch; the perfect climax to a terrific Somerset performance. They win by 5 wickets and move up to fourth in the South Group table".
"Terrific" is perhaps over-stating it a touch. It was a good, and much-needed win, against a Glamorgan side shorn of several of its best players with nothing to play for. Yes, Babar was pure class and yes, Max Waller had bowled as well as I've ever seen him. But will that middle-order and that seam attack be enough to do the business against either Surrey away on Tuesday, or Middlesex at home on Friday? The doubts persist.
In the meantime, I've had it confirmed that the ideal position to finish in the South Group is fourth. Because, assuming that Lancs win the North Group, they'll have to play their quarter final against whoever is fourth in the South away from home, as there'll be a test match at Old Trafford. Fingers crossed!
Glamorgan's Colin Ingram wins the toss and, much to my relief, elects to field. Four out of Somerset's five wins have come from batting first and putting big runs on the board. The pitch is announced as a 'hybrid' one; that is to say, 5% of polyethelene fibre has been incorporated into the grass to hold the surface together. This is the second occasion on which one has been used in the Blast (the other was at Old Trafford) and the expectation is that it will favour the batsmen more than the bowlers.
As I predicted, Somerset are unchanged, so no Trego, Bess or Davey. Loyalty is a virtue that can sometimes be over-played. I am disappointed that no place has been found in the Glamorgan side for the young slow left-armer Prem Sisodyia, as I had been planning to suggest to those in charge of the music that they play an anthem to celebrate each of the two sides: the Beach Boys' Ba-ba-ba-ba-Babar Azam' for Somerset, and Phil Collins' 'su-su-Sisodyia' for Prem. Ah well, perhaps next year.
Babar and Banton have scored over 50% (884) of Somerset's (1726) runs in this competition so far at a strike rate of 157, which shows just how reliant - over-reliant many would say - Somerset have become on their explosive opening partnership. And with the Sky television cameras here this evening, the two Bs are as revved up as ever. Against some wayward bowling from Rhuadri Smith and Marchant de Lange, both are soon into their stride, Banton striking the ball effortlessly square of the wicket on both sides, Babar wristily putting Smith away for three legside boundaries in an over. When Dan Douthwaite comes into the attack, he disappears for 17 off six intimidated balls. Somerset pass 50 in the 5th over and a total of 200 plus looks comfortably achievable.
It is not, however, achieved. Once Banton is out, nicking a good ball from the debutant Roman Walker ("sounds like he spends his time walking up and down Hadrian's Wall", I venture, much to the disapproval of my more serious-minded co-commentators), the innings stutters. James Hildreth is so out of form that - and I never thought I would ever find myself writing these words - it is painful to watch him. He and Babar pick up plenty of singles against some decent bowling from the Glamorgan spinners, Andrew Salter and Callum Taylor, but the boundaries - one glorious straight six from Babar apart - dry up. It is almost a relief when Hildreth is run out by Ingram's direct hit, and Tom Abell is soon restoring some momentum, turning ones into twos and sweeping Salter powerfully to the square leg boundary. Once again, 200 hoves into view, and once again the innings stutters, Babar miscuing a pull and Abell slicing a wide half-volley to deep backward point. Eddie Byrom has meanwhile been laying about him like Blackbeard on speed with a series of bizarre hoicks and hacks, as if wielding a cutlass rather than a bat. He is also painful to watch, in a different way. Overton, as usual, holes out quickly, and Marchant de Lange shows how to bowl at the death by taking three wickets - all bowled, stumps flying everywhere - with fierce pace in the 20th over. So that's 177. A good total, but not a dominant one. The question mark over the firepower of this Somerset middle order remains.
Glamorgan's chances disappear in the first ten balls of their reply. Shaun Marsh nicks the seventh, delivered by the much-maligned (by me and Mark especially) Jerome Taylor, to Hildreth at slip; Colin Ingram is called through for an impossible single by Nick Selman, to be beaten by yards by Tom Abell's arrowing throw, off the tenth. Thereafter, it was all about David Lloyd's aggressive defiance for Glamorgan, and Max Waller's guileful variations for Somerset. Lloyd loses what was always a losing battle, when Tom Abell takes a good catch, running back, as he tries to hit Lammonby over the top, and that is about that.
If I'm being completely honest, I didn't actually see the first of the two catches that Roelof van der Merwe took in the final over, bowled expertly by Tim Groenewald, But I certainly saw the second, off the final ball: "Walker hits powerfully down the ground; van der Merwe is positioning himself under it; he TAKES the catch; the perfect climax to a terrific Somerset performance. They win by 5 wickets and move up to fourth in the South Group table".
"Terrific" is perhaps over-stating it a touch. It was a good, and much-needed win, against a Glamorgan side shorn of several of its best players with nothing to play for. Yes, Babar was pure class and yes, Max Waller had bowled as well as I've ever seen him. But will that middle-order and that seam attack be enough to do the business against either Surrey away on Tuesday, or Middlesex at home on Friday? The doubts persist.
In the meantime, I've had it confirmed that the ideal position to finish in the South Group is fourth. Because, assuming that Lancs win the North Group, they'll have to play their quarter final against whoever is fourth in the South away from home, as there'll be a test match at Old Trafford. Fingers crossed!
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